Last night, one of E3’s founding board members, Jane Batten, received the prestigious Darden Award for Regional Leadership. The award is given annually by The Civic Leadership Institute to an individual who creates sustainable efforts toward the betterment of life for the people of the Hampton Roads Region.
Jane was recognized for her longstanding philanthropic leadership in the Hampton Roads region, particularly as it pertains to education. As a founding board member of E3, Jane fully understands that the key to transforming our education, our workforce and our economy starts with early education.
In a recent interview with Inside Business, Jane noted, “Education is all one piece, from early education to elementary all the way up to high school. If a child doesn’t have that early stimulation then they have a higher chance of not doing well in school, not graduating and not being a productive member of society.”
Jane has been a driving force for education across the Commonwealth. Her vision and commitment to transforming early education in Virginia is largely what led to the creation of The New E3 School, a high quality demonstration model school, set to open in Norfolk this January.
Image via Inside Business
Congratulations, Jane!! Thank you for lending us your talent and expertise to help guide and shape the work of E3 and The New E3 School; we couldn’t do it without you!
Want to learn more about Jane’s philanthropic impact? Click here to watch a heart-warming, inspiring video that details many of Jane’s contributions to the Hampton Roads Region, including her work with E3.
Read the full Inside Business article here.
Also featured at the Darden Awards last night was a very powerful video tribute honoring Josh Darden, another incredible advocate and champion for education, who is loved and missed by many. Click here to watch.